Shades of Gray
by candelight
Summary: Chibi turtle fiction. Raph finds this shade is never necessarily a bad color. Especially when a frightened turtle realizes-with a little help from Splinter, of course-that gray is the hue of peace.


Gray

* * *

Chibi turtle fiction. This shade is never necessarily a bad color. Especially when a frightened Raphael realizes-with a little help from Splinter, of

course-that gray is the hue of peace.

Hallo, everyone! ^^ Salutations and well wishes.....whatnot, whatnot, whatnot. ^^ I was looking a deviant art work that inspired this piece.

Truthfully, I wanted Mikey to be the one with this story....but Raph kind of clicked with this tale. Ah, well. Sorry, Mikey-chan.

Anyhoo-enough of my prattling. Hope you enjoy!

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_Quote: "May your dreams find contentment, your nights full of serenity, and your sleep peaceful and unbroken to dawn's respite."_

* * *

It's embarassing.

Embarassing, but it happens anyway. Eventually.

He's often heard a frightened Donatello scuttle off-and Mikey yelping about whatnot before hurrying off-and even Leo would seize his own

comforters and drag them out of the room, eyes wide-but, in a way, it feels quite surreal when it occurs to him.

Still, it does, though it really shouldn't.

He's not exactly sure what is it that tears him from sleep-the nightmare by itself, when some unnamed horror raced through his mind, or the odd

sensation of bolting yourself back to conciousness, heart accelerating in your chest, and a cold sweat breaking out all over yourself.

Raph is four. But he was the group's unofficial valor. This shouldn't happen to _him_-!

But, regardless, it does, and Raph creeps out the door, listening to Mikey snore softly in his own crate/bed a few meters away, or Donny

murmuring peacefully in his own. Leo's breathing is deep and untroubled.

Feeling somewhat lonely in that regard, the night only breaking over _him_-Raph too, makes his way out, where many another turtle made his way

towards to the dojo.

~*~*~

He knows.

At first, basking himself in nightly meditation-it's a bit of a shock to be startled away from the other plane he had been seeking.

But, the timid footstep outside the tatami room, positively unsure of his welcome-he relaxes, and, it's with a small smile that he slowly shakes his

head, and slowly turns it to the door.

He pricks his ears-and recognizes that footstep is indeed Raphael's. And the scent is proof enough as well. For some reason or another-the little

fellow always smelled of juniper leaves.

Never particulary sure why. Ah, well.

He quietly crosses the straw floor, rubbing at his eyes as he slides the door open.

* * *

He tells them, again and again, even when a much relieved turtle scrambles inside for a hug.

_Merely fantasy-and nothing more._

All the same, on the rare occasions a nightmare occurs-he didn't really see too much harm in allowing them to sit with him for awhile-until he

could gently push a now sleepy turtle back to bed-perhaps with a cup of water.

Raph just sits in his lap as the rat resumes meditation-and cuddles up, listening to the rat's slow heartbeat.

Embarassed though he is-shy as he can't help but feel, it's still kinda nice to sit with Splinter for a bit.

Sometimes, he vaguely thinks about the day's event-or those of his dream. Occasionally, it didn't have to be anything but vague musings, which

sufficed enough.

Occasionally, it was on the rat he was with at the moment.

What was particulary comforting-he wasn't sure.

Normally, Splinter gave them a decent welcome and a refuge for the night occasionally-there was that.

There was the quiet serenity you got watching him in one of his more still relapses-although you could get twitchy after awhile when there was

nothing else to do.

Maybe it was simply seeing father that did it-gray face, gray eyes, gray everything in a soft hug with the old clock Don had repaired letting loose

uneventful _tick-tick-ticking_ sounds by the hour.

He smiles, face in the faded brown and black monk robes Splinter was so particular towards.

There was something of an old joke with the Hamatos about the color gray.

Basically, underneath the streets, encased in stone-their home, their existance-

Gray doesn't necessarily mean boring.

Even as Splinter jerked out of his own reverie to glance down at a now dozing Raphael, he simply smiles faintly, and resumes casting himself off

to a higher degree-hand still clasped on the turtle's head.

In the Hamato household-Gray is a fairly good representation of "peace."

* * *

~*~

Whew! Anyhoo-I was playing around with a different style of writing-present tense. Not exactly what I normally push for....but I kind of liked the

variety. If you want to see the picture...... (get rid of the spaces ^^) http:// gaaranekogf1. /art/ 19-Gray -97235740

Also, this is my new chibi turtle cycle-fictions taking place in four seasons!

Don=Winter, Mikey=Spring, Raph=Summer, Leo=Autumn


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